Internet ad revenues hit all-time Q1 high

Internet advertising revenues in the U.S. reached $11.6 billion for the first quarter of 2014, marking a 19% increase over the same period in 2013, according to the latest IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report figures released by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PwC US. This is an historic first-quarter high and a significant increase over last year’s first-quarter revenue level, which was record-setting at $9.6 billion.

“Interactive advertising is seeing remarkable gains,” said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO, IAB. “Digital screens are a critical part of the marketing mix and these landmark figures speak to that irrefutable fact.”

“With consumers increasingly relying on digital screens for everything from information to entertainment, numbers like these should come as no surprise,” said David Silverman, a partner at PwC US. “Interactive clearly offers a unique proposition for marketers and agencies – an opportunity they are embracing and will likely rely on more in the future.”

The following chart highlights quarterly ad revenue since 1996; dollar figures are rounded.

Carl has been with RBR-TVBR since 1997 and is currently Managing Director/Senior Editor. Residing in Northern Virginia, he covers the business of broadcasting, advertising, programming, new media and engineering. He’s also done a great deal of interviews for the company and handles our ever-growing stable of bylined columnists.